Luminous calibration of oscilloscopic displays

Procedures are described for adjusting the intensity of computer-driven oscilloscopic displays. The adjustment maintains a fixed intensity level on different occasions and equates the brightness of brief stimuli displayed for different durations (i.e., compensates for the effects of time-intensity reciprocity).     

Electroencephalographic correlations of temporally spaced responding and avoidance behavior

This study was undertaken to determine whether any EEG changes occurred during a multiple schedule of reinforcement consisting of repeated periods of avoidance behavior, a time-out (TO) period, and a period of differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL). The two monkeys were permanently implanted with bipolar electrodes in various subcortical areas. The EEG was recorded from these electrodes for several weeks before any behavioral training was undertaken. Training was then begun in the multiple schedule, and EEG recordings were taken frequently throughout the training period. When a stable performance level was achieved, drugs (dl-amphetamine and sodium pentobarbital) were introduced which disrupted the DRL performance but had little or no effect on avoidance behavior. The EEG recordings continued throughout these drug studies.

The data indicate that the marked behavioral differences noted in each component of the schedule were not reflected in the EEG. However, the EEG did correlate with the general level of alertness of the animals during the various components. The drugs which differentially affected the behavior in the components of the schedule did not differentially affect the EEG, but they did change the brain-wave activity equally in all components. Finally, EEG changes correlated with the complex motor response of lever pressing were not observed.

     

Winning or Losing Against an Opposite-Sex Peer on a Gender-Based Competitive Task

Two studies with heterosexual female and malecollege students explored the effects on mood and bodyimage resulting from a negative versus a positiveoutcome in a competitive interaction. In study 1,participants either succeeded or failed in comparison to anopposite-sex confederate on a gender-neutral task ofanagram solution. Study 2 added the dimension of thegender stereotypicality of the task by creatingempirically derived feminine (beauty aid knowledge) andmasculine (tool construction knowledge) conditions. Theresults indicated that women's anger significantlyincreased following the masculine task, regardless of the outcome. A marginally significantthree-way interaction resulted for the depressionmeasure: Females who won at the masculine task hadhigher levels of depression than males in thiscondition, and higher levels than both males and females inthe masculine-lose condition. In contrast, males who“won” on the feminine task had higher levelsof depression than females in this condition, and higher levels than both males and females who lost onthe feminine task. Discussion centers on the potentialusefulness of the gender-stereotypicality measure forfuture research and the need for followup work to replicate the current findings.     

Analysis of factor structure in a dream inventory

Intercorrelations of responses to the KJP dream inventory, initially a checklist of dream elements, were factor analyzed from a database from 65 graduate majors in psychology. Six factors were identified within the checklist: repetitive traumatic dreaming, reoccurring pleasantness, openness or depth, discontentedness, dissociative avoidance, and uninhibitedness. Scoring criteria were developed for each subscale.     

The variance error of the P50-discriminant

The P₅₀-discriminant has been reported elsewhere in connection with its use in predicting whether selective service registrants if inducted would become normal operative soldiers or would commit offenses causing their imprisonment. The standard error of the P₅₀-discriminant is a good measure to use in determining how far to the side of this statistic a particular case falls. The standard error formula itself has also been published elsewhere; but its derivation, as the variance error, is given here.The author gratefully acknowledges the very extensive assistance kindly given to him by Dr. Truman L. Kelley and Dr. Frederick Mosteller. This assistance was given without reference to the utility of the P₅₀-discriminant, upon which matter the author reports elsewhere and for which he takes full responsibility.     

Clinical cutoffs for the beck Depression inventory and the Geriatric Depression scale with older adult psychiatric outpatients

The present study developed new clinical cutoffs for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with 59 older adult psychiatric outpatients. Maximum discrimination of a current major depressive episode resulted, with cutoff scores of 22 for the BDI and 16 for the GDS. Specifically, the following validity scores emerged for the BDI: sensitivity, 64%; specificity, 73%; positive predictive power, 75%; negative predictive power, 61%; and hit rate 68%. For the GDS the validity scores were as follows: sensitivity, 79%; specificity, 69%; positive predictive power, 77%; negative predictive power, 72%; and hit rate, 75%. Combined BDI and GDS scores did not result in improved prediction of a current major depressive episode as compared to the GDS alone. These results support the notion that the BDI and GDS are valid quick screening instruments in discriminating a current major depressive episode for older adult psychiatric outpatients.     

Another Round for the Brewers: Television Ads and Children's Alcohol Expectancies1

In an experimental study of how beer commercials affect alcohol expectancies, 92 fifth graders watched 40 television ads that included either five beer commercials, five soft-drink commercials, or five beer commercials plus two antidrinking messages. Afterwards, as an unrelated task, they completed the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-Adolescent Form (AEQ-A; Christiansen, Goldman, & Inn, 1982). Exposure to different commercials produced no differences in drinking expectancies. The experiment was repeated on 74 eighth graders with similar null results; however, eighth-grade girls more strongly believed (p <.02) that alcohol leads to deteriorated cognitive and behavioral function. In a comparison of fifth and eighth graders from the same school, eighth graders had significantly more positive scores on three AEQ-A scales that tapped social/emotional expectancies. The failure of beer commercials to create positive alcohol expectancies is consistent with limited and null findings of previous investigations. Research to date does not support a ban on alcohol advertising.